Classic Poem

After a pretty amorous discourse,
She does resist my love with pleasing force,
Moved not with anger but with modesty:
Against her will she is my enemy.
Her eyes the rudeness of her arms excuse,
Those do accept what these seem to refuse;
To ease my passion and to make me blest,
The linen of itself falls from her breast;
Then with her lovely hands she does conceal
Those wonders chance so kindly did reveal.
In vain, alas, her nimble fingers strove
To keep her beauties from my greedy love;
Guarding her breasts, they do her lips expose,
To save a lily she must lose a rose.
What charms are here in every part? what grace?
A hundred hands can"t shield each beauteous place.
Now she consents, her force she does recall,
And since I must have part she"ll give me all.
Her arms, which did repulse me, now embrace
And seem to guide me to the fought-for place.
Her love is in her sparkling eyes expressed,
She falls on the bed for pleasure more than rest.
But oh, strange passions! oh, abortive joy!
My zeal does my devotion quite destroy:
Come to the temple where I should implore.
My saint, I worship at the sacred door.
Oh cruel chance! the town which did oppose
My strength so long now yields to my dispose
When, overjoyed with victory, I fall
Dead at the foot of the surrendered wall.
Without the usual ceremony, we
Have both fulfilled the amorous mystery;
The action which we should have jointly done,
Each has unluckily performed alone;
The union which our bodies should enjoy,
The union of our eager souls destroy.
Our flames are punished by their own excess —
We"d had more pleasure had our love been less.
She blushed and frowned, perceiving we had done
The sport she thought we had not yet begun.
Alas, said I, condemn yourself, not me;
This is the effect of too much modesty.
Hence with that harmful virtue, the delight
Of both our victories was lost in the fight;
From my defeat your glory does arise,
My weakness proves the vigor of your eyes;
They did consume the victim, ere it came
Unto the altar, with a purer flame.
Phillis, let this same comfort ease your care,
You"d been more happy had you been less fair.